Wire-stretcher



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAM O. HUDSON, OF JASPER, ARKANSAS.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,891, dated June 9,1896.

Application filed February 26, 1396. Serial No. 580,780. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it 777/667] concern.-

lle it known that I, W'ILLIMI O. HUDSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jasper, in the county of Newton and State of Arkansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vire-Stretchers; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in wire-strctchers of thatclass orkind adapt ed to stretch and hold the strands in a wire fence,and the object is to provide an implement for the uses stated which isconvenient in manipulation, is of simplified construction, andexpeditious and useful in effecting the purpose.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanyingdrawings,where- Figure 1 is a view showing the application of thestretcher as in use for stretching the wire of a fence. Fig. 2 is afront view in elevation with the tongue removed. Fig. 3 is a similarview showing the complete device.

A designates a substantial lever consisting of a piece of strong wood ofsuch dimensions as may suit it to stand the strain to which it may besubjected. This lever is preferably made with a tapering handle portion1 and having the lower portion made rectangular in cross-section. At adetermined distance from the lower end of the lever is formed atransverse slot or mortise 2, extending substantially one-half thedistance across the width of the lever and of such size as to readilytake in the wires of the fence. This slot 2 opens into avertically-arranged tapering slot 3, extending downward and adapted tohave the wire to be stretched forced down in the taper and held therein.To preserve the slot from wear and abrasure and to strengthen theimplement at that point, a metal plate at, formed with a tapering slotalining with the tapering slot in the implement, is rigidly secured tothe face of the lever, as shown in the drawings. Above the slot inthelever is hung a curved tongue 5, having an open-end slot 0 in itsfree end, the base of which stands adjacent to the bottom of the slot inthe implement. The tongue may be forced over and down upon a wirearranged in the tapering slot and prevent it from escaping. On the innerface of the lever at the lower end is inserted a strong metal stud 7,the purpose of which is to set against the adjacent edge of a post andprevent the lever from slipping back when power is applied to stretchthe wire. To the hand end of the lever is fastened one end of a chain 8,the province of which is to hold the lever tight in position until astaple is driven over the wire by fastening the chain around the post orto a wire of the fence that has already been stretched,

The use of my improved wire-stretcher may be as follows: The wire to bestretched is inserted in the tapering slot of the lever and the tonguepushed down over it to keep it from escaping or becoming loose. Thelever then is placed against the post with the stud against the oppositeedge, and then by moving the lever the wire is stretched.

It will be perceived from the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the drawings, that the wire stretched can be tacked to the post towhich the lever is applied, and

that the application of the lever is readily made and the wire tightenedexpeditiously.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A wire stretcher, comprising a lever formed with a transverse slotacross its lower portion and a vertically-arranged and downward-extending tapering slot leading therefron1,a metal plate secured tothe lever form ed with a tapering slot in alinement with the verticalslot in the lever, a tongue hinged to the lever, formed at its free endwith an openend slot, the base of which lies adjacent to the base of theslot in the lever and a metal lug secured in the end of the lever atright angles to the face thereof, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. A wire-stretcher, comprising a lever formed with a transverse slotacross its lower portion and a vertically-arranged anddownward-extending tapering slot leading therefro1n,a metal platesecured to the lever formed with a tapering slot in alinement with thevertical slot in the lever, a tongue hinged to the lever, formed at itsfree end with an open-end In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my slot,the base of which lies adjacent to the signature in presence of twoWitnesses. base of the slot in the lever, and a metal lug secured in theend of the lever at rightan- XVILLIAM C. HUDSON. 5 g'les t0 the facethereof, and a chain secured Vitnesses:

to the hand end of the lever, substantially as \V. C. YOUNG,

and for the purpose specified. J. G. HENsLEY.

